When I weighed 226lbs only God & my doctor knew. Then my trainer. But not one other soul.

I was ashamed. I felt weak. I felt powerless. I felt out of control on the inside and it showed on the outside. I wasn’t fooling anybody least of all myself.

I wouldn’t go to the pool or beach since I wouldn’t be caught dead in a bathing suit. I avoided reunions or any event that involved people I hadn’t seen in a long time.

I stopped being in pictures or would hide in the picture. My daughter was a great shield to hide behind. I avoided going to the doctor since I didn’t want to be weighed.

I stopped living my life. It shows in my scrapbooks. My daughter asked why I stopped scrapbooking after her 5th birthday.

I stopped because my life stopped when I got fat. I didn’t want to memorialize that time in my life.

You are only as sick as your secrets. I was very sick when I weighed 226lbs. I had diabetes, high blood pressure, my triglycerides were 700 & I was on Prozac for PMDD (PMS that makes everyone around you hide).

The layers of fat weren’t the worst part. I was trapped in my own mind, A prisoner in solitary confinement.

Then one day I told my story. And not just to one person but hundreds of people in a talk at my gym when I first became a trainer. Even worse they had a giant picture of my fatness displayed behind me for everyone to see.

It was freeing to tell my story, my secret. I shook, I cried & I blushed from embarrassment as I felt each shackle release.

Afterwards I was bombarded by women who were holding on to their secrets. They were crying and thanking me for being so brave, so real.

That was the start of a new life-giving career for me.

Reading that chapter out loud healed my mind, heart & soul. I had already lost 80lbs but the 226lb Lisa was still inside me.

I closed that chapter after reading it out loud. I finally let 226lb Lisa go. I thanked her for what she taught me, but asked her to never come back again.

Simpatico Mind & Body

New York City-based Simpatico Mind & Body is a service designed by Lisa Ceizyk, a professional with firsthand experience when it comes to losing weight, getting fit, and most importantly, changing your mindset and your life. Simpatico's services include nutrition and fitness plans designed to work for your lifestyle. Lisa will meet you, train you at your home or in a location convenient to you or train you remotely, and most importantly, will provide the coaching, expertise, and encouragement to meet your goals, transform your body and your mindset, and give you the tools to stay fit for life.